APPENDICITIS

Wednesday, 3 December 2008

Such a sad way to end the year.

Awoken at around 4 a.m. that morning from gastric pain. Went to the nearby clinic at around 8 a.m., was given gastric pills and MC for the day. Rested at home but pain got worse, especially when applied pressure to the lower right side of the stomach. Thank god Teresa was home and she insisted that I should be re-examined by the GP again.

Confirmed appendicitis by the GP upon re-examination and was given a reference letter for admission to hospital. Gastric pain subsided a little and I was hungry. Went home for some porridge (bad move but what the heck, I was hungry) before we set out for Columbia-Asia Hospital in Puchong (the nearest hospital from home).

Re-confirmed appendicidis by the doctor in-charge of ER. Re-confirmed again by the surgeon, who wanted to cut me up straight away but couldn't because I just ate the porridge.

For the first time in my life, I was admitted to a hospital (at around 1 p.m.). Because I am already 40 years old, I had an ECG, x-ray on my chest and a blood test to see if I am fit enough for the knife. Then, the poking started. Arghhhh...hated that and had to tell myself that it was just like post-Ironman (when I was given drips at the recovery area).

Waited for another 4-5 hours at my ward. Tried to sleep but couldn't. Thank god again for Teresa, who was there to keep me company (and kept me company for the rest of my stay at the hospital). It scared the soul out of me when they came to get me at around 5 p.m. Was given a sleeping pill before they pushed me away.

Waited for a while at the holding bay outside the operating theatre (can't figure out for how long). Thanks to the sleeping pill, I was knocked off completely before they gave me the anesthetic. The next thing I knew, I was already back in my ward and the appendix removed.

Was told later that my appendix ruptured (thought of Lisa Bentley, in an article I read that she ruptured hers during an Ironman race-ouchhh!!!). Was also told that because of the rupture, I was to get fever over the next 5 days and had to remained hospitalised for the same duration.

I was given antibiotics 3 times a day, which they injected through my veins. The fever came by the end of Thursday night (as predicted by the surgeon, 24 hrs after the surgery). My temperature peaked at a mild 37.8 degree celcius on Friday morning but subsided by earlier Friday afternoon. Was hopeful the doctor would let me go home by Friday evening but I succumbed to his advice to stay one more night.

Discharged before noon on Saturday, 6 December 2008 and was given MC until 22/12/08.

Worst piece of news from the doctor.....no strenuous exercise for the next 3 months!!!!! How am I going to live thru that???!!! At least I wasn't planning to do Ironman Malaysia in February 2009 (my recent career change made sure of that). But KL Marathon (March 2009) was on my mind. Not sure if I have enough time to recover and train for it.